Two Wildcats in Top 20 Following Opening Round at LSU Invite

BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU Invitational opened the week boasting a loaded field which features six top-25 ranked teams and 10 in the top 50, but it was the course that got the better of the players during the first round. Every team shot above par with the Kentucky men’s golf team concluding the day in 10th overall. UK graduate students Reid Bedell and Jacob Cook are among the top 20 on the individual leaderboard.
 
Eleven shots separate Kentucky from the leaders. No. 6 Illinois finished the day at 5-over par and No. 12 and No. 22 Tennessee are tied for second at 6-over par. UK closed the round at 16-over. Fourteen of the 15 teams in the field are separated by 14 strokes, setting the stage for a competitive final 36 holes.
 
Kentucky opened play on the back nine of the course which gave the field fits. UK was 19-over par as a team as it made the turn but battled back and shaved off three strokes over its final nine. Every Wildcat turned in an improved scorecard over the final nine holes.
 
Bedell’s 1-over 73 paced UK’s roster. The Fair Haven, New Jersey, native played 2-under par over his final nine to gain some momentum. He’s tied for 11th on the individual leaderboard.
 
Bedell began his round with a double-bogey on the No. 10 but shook it off quickly with a birdie at the 11th. He made the turn at 3-over par and then played steadily with no bogeys over his final nine holes and birdies at the par-three fifth and the par-three eighth.
 
Cook finished the day tied for 16th after a 2-over 74. He was 4-over before making the turn and matched Bedell with a 2-under scorecard over his final nine. The Frankfort, Kentucky, native found a rhythm with four birdies over a seven-hole stretch and then played par the rest of the way.
 
With a round of 76, sophomore Alex Goff is tied for 37th. He played even-par over his final nine holes. Junior Zach Norris shot an 81 and is tied for 81st, while sophomore Cooper Parks is tied for 88th following a round of 87. Norris matched Goff with an even-par back nine.
 
Senior Allen Hamilton finished the day tied for 67th as an individual. He shot a 78 which included an eagle at the par-five third to highlight his round.
 
Teams resume play beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday for the second of three rounds. Live scoring is available via golfstat.com.
 
The University Club was designed and opened in 1998 by Jim Lipe. It was later redesigned by former LSU All-American and PGA winner David Toms. The redesign took advantage of the natural topography with the wetlands surrounding the course in mind. It plays at 7,700 yards at a par score of 72.
 
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s golf team, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and on the web at UKathletics.com.